Personalisation Action Plan published

Think Local Act Personal - the sector-wide partnership for personalising care and support - has published the Personalisation Action Plan outlining key activity by the sector ahead of the Care Bill.

Care Services Minister Norman Lamb has confirmed he will be encouraging all councils to check people's experiences of using personal budgets and to sign up to Making it Real, the markers of progress for personalised care and support that were developed by people, carers and families to show what good care and support looks like.

Writing for TLAP's Personalisation: What's Next? blog, the Minister shares that he has agreed funding for any councils wishing to use the Personal Budgets Outcomes Evaluation tool to check results and plan improvements with local people, and renewed his commitment to supporting the sector with personalisation by confirming support for the Think Local Act Personal Partnership in its next phase from April 2014.

A new TLAP partnership agreement, work programme and report reviewing its first three years of activity will be published in May.

The action plan published today follows on from the Ministerial summit on Personalisation of Care and Support Summit hosted by Norman Lamb last September.

TLAP's director Sam Bennett said:

"Strong leadership is needed from all parts of the care sector to drive through the fundamental changes required to secure a sustainable system of personalised care and support for the future. The Action Plan published today and the new Partnership Agreement to be published in the Spring aims to secure and advance further progress with personalisation over the coming months and years to ensure we can "make it real" in these uniquely complex and challenging times."

"Ensuring that services are moulded around individuals - their needs, strengths and informal support networks - looks increasingly like the only way to help older and disabled people to live good lives, as budgets come under increasing pressure. This Action Plan sets out a vision for doing this which should excite and challenge every council and care provider."